The FIFA eWorld Cup 2018 kicks off on the 2nd of August, that’s just a week away, and we’re getting excited! The World cup is the pinnacle of the FIFA eSports season and this year’s tournament is set to be the biggest yet.

So with just 7 days to go, we thought we’d give you a rundown of the 7 things you need to know going into the tournament.

1. Footballs Coming Home

It was the meme of the summer. England beat a poor Panama side and Tunisia in the World Cup and before you could say 1966 “Footballs Coming Home” was number one in the charts here in the UK. England fans genuinely believed they could go on to win the tournament. There was just one little problem… England had yet to play a good side and home just happened to be in Paris.

Jokes aside the tournament gave England fans a renewed optimism after years of dour football, poor management, and players that had more loyalty to their clubs than their country.

But there was only ever one realistic chance of England lifting a World Cup this summer and that will be at the FIFA eWorld Cup. Spencer “Gorilla” Ealing will be looking to retain his title after winning last year. The omens are good for Gorilla with the final again being held in London. This time taking place in the more prestigious O2 Arena. It’s a stunning venue that sits on the banks of the Thames and there is no better place to hold such an event.

So with the home support behind him and the good vibes running through the country Gorilla is in prime position to do what no one has done before and win back to back eWorld Cup titles.

2. The Prize Money is Huge

Every year the prizes getting bigger and better and this year is no different. There is a total prize fund of $400,000 to be shared amongst the top placing players with a record $250,000 going to the winner. It is an absolutely life-changing amount of money and it’s well deserved for players who have spent countless hours over the years perfecting their games.

Not only that, the winner will receive an invite to the Best FIFA Football Awards giving them the chance to rub shoulders with the who’s who of world football.

Not bad work if you can get it.

3. The Germans Are Coming

8 out of the 32 participants at this years FIFA eWorld Cup are German and every one of them is an accomplished player in his own right. You have last years finalist Kai “deto” Wollin, winner in last months Xbox Global Series Playoff Grand Final Michael “Megabit98” Bittner, wunderkind Eisvogel and many more.

But how do they do it?

Many in the sport regard the competitive scene in Germany as the best in the world. There are a number of factors to explain why. The Virtuelle Bundesliga works in partnership with the Bundesliga proper and is a professionally run and competitive league that’s played throughout the year. It has major sponsorship deals with brands like Tag Heuer and Samsung. All this adds up to a great league that naturally improves the level of the players involved. Few other countries can draw on such a rich pool of talent.

German football teams have also embraced eSports like no other. VFL Wolfsburg were the first professional club in the world to sign a player back in 2015 and others followed. Many of the top division clubs having players signed to professional contracts and it’s not just FIFA, Schalke even have their own League of Legend team.

No German has ever won the eWorld Cup but with a huge contingent making their way to London and Mesut Özil, a World Cup winner in his own right signed as the tournament ambassador, maybe it will be their year.

4. An Argentinian Assassin

Nicolas ‘Nicolas99FC’ Villalba is the name on many peoples lips.

Having burst onto the scene at last year’s eWorld Cup he has spent 2018 cementing his place at the top. In January he came 2nd at the FUT Champions Cup and then went one better winning the FIFA eWorld Cup Global Series Playoffs. This means he enters the tournament as the number 1 seeded Playstation player and the favorite for many.

Much has been said about his approach to the game, like his more famous compatriots he enjoys a lot of touches of the ball. He takes his time. Controlling the game, probing at the opposition and looking for runners and just when you think he’s going to shoot he’ll pull it back across the goal leaving his attacker to tap into an empty net. He’s the epitome of clinical.

Widely considered the best defensive player in the game. He conceded on average just 1.13 goals a game on his way to the final.

He can cut a rather strange figure on stage with his hood up and with dark circles around his eyes. A touch of the assassins creed about him, that’s why for me he is the Argentinian Assasian.

5. A Change In Format

This year is the first since the change in the format of the tournament. Now every game will be a two-legged affair. Previously only the knockout games had been. This is great for the fans. We get to see more games and the best players will make it through to the knockouts.

There will be 16 players from Playstation 4 and 16 from Xbox One. The games will be played across three days starting on August 2nd with the group stages games. The 3rd will be for the knockout stages and Sunday the 4th will be set aside for the Final!

We will be there throughout the entire tournament bringing you all the action, drama and results. We’ll also have interviews with the biggest personalities and we have a few surprises in store as well.

If you would like to be there yourself all the information on how to obtain tickets can be found here.

6. New Year, New Game

If you find yourself at the O2 in August you will get the chance to play the latest installment of the game – FIFA 19. Information has already been leaked from this year’s E3 and this year’s game looks set to be one of the best yet. Featuring a fully licensed Champions League(Oh yes!) on-the-fly tactic changes and an all-new first touch system. Everything that has come out so far has got us hyped.

A few players have been vocal about problems in this years game. EA have taken note and early signs are very promising.

We’ll be getting hands-on time with it at the o2 and we’ll let you know exactly what we think. If you are lucky enough to be there yourself don’t be a stranger and challenge us to a game.

7. You Can Bet On All The Action

If the games themselves are not exciting enough then a little wager is just what you need to keep you on the edge of your seat. As the tournament approaches more bookmakers will take bets but at the moment Bet365 is where the action is at. They have Nicolas99FC favorite at 4/1. There are some great value picks – if you think Deto can do one better this year he is at 16/1. Rafsou who has been performing well only narrowly beaten by Megabit in the Xbox Global Series is at 16/1. A man on a mission this year is the outspoken Kurt0411. Famous for rage quitting at this year’s eClub World Cup and frequent outbursts on Twitter. If his performances are as big as his mouth he is worth a punt at 25/1.

If you are unsure on who to put your money on check back with us on the day of the tournament. We will be putting out a handy cheat sheet profiling all the players. We’ll cover their form going into the tournament playstyles, past wins. Just everything you will need to know. So you can sit back relax and enjoy the tournament!

Who do you think will win this year’s FIFA eWorld Cup? And what are your thoughts for FIFA 19? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.

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